I told you that I am obsessed with key limes, and cupcakes of course! These little cupcakes are so delicious and great for summer parties! I know it's tough to think about the sun shining with all of this snow falling! Or, have an indoor summer-themed party, and forget the cold!

These cupcakes have a crunchy, graham cracker crust, with a sweet, lime-accented cake, tangy, key lime curd topping, and light and fluffy whipped cream decoration. There's so many great things going for this cupcake!

Make the key lime curd: In a saucepan, combine eggs and sugar. Whisk well. Whisk in the lime juice and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until warmed. Whisk in butter, a little at a time, stirring in completely. Cook until the mixture thickens and a spoon leaves a path when drawn through. (It should reach no higher than 175 degrees F if using a candy thermometer.)

Immediately remove from heat and pass through a strainer. Place the strained lime curd into an airtight container and refrigerate. (This can last up to 2 weeks.)

Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 4 mini cupcake pans with liners. Mix together crust ingredients. Drop very small spoonful into the bottom of each liner. (Only use enough to just cover the bottom) Smash down with the bottom of a shot glass. Bake 2 minutes, or until just golden brown.

For the cupcakes, combine cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat butter on medium-high for 3 minutes. Scrape sides of the bowl and beat 1 more minute. Add lime zest and beat to combine. Add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition.

Mix in eggs, 1 at a time until incorporated. Combine buttermilk and vanilla in a measuring cup. With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients alternately with wet ingredients to the butter mixture. (Begin and end with dry ingredients.) Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer. Fill liners at least 2/3 full. (Make sure the cakes don't come up too short!)

Bake 11-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Remove to wire rack and cool completely before assembling the rest of the cupcake.

For the whipped cream: Combine cream and sugar in a small mixing bowl, mixing on medium-high until stiff peaks form. Blend in the vanilla.

To assemble the cupcakes: Place a small spoonful of lime curd on top of each cake and spread to the edges. Decorate with whipped cream, using a pastry bag and small star tip to make decorative dollops around the edges of the cupcakes. (Another blogger used thawed CoolWhip in a pastry bag and said it worked just as well) Enjoy!!